Flexible bracelet



Dec. 15, 1931. E G, CARLSQN 1,836,955

FLEXIBLE BRACELET Filed April 30, 1950 INVENTOR. j /7 /7 Mil/l' 6f/5v/JA TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 15, 1931 A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN G. CARLSON,OF RIVERSIDE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO SPEIDEL CHAIN CO., OFPROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A FIRM COMPOSED OF FREDERIC SPEIDEL ANDI EUGENSIPEIDEL FLEXIBLE BRACELET Application mea April so, 1930. serial No.448,558.

folded and the plates being provided with openings to register with theopenings in the links so as to render the plates inconspicuous when infolded position.

A further object of the invention is to form the extension plates with agroove to receive the under side of the loop links which connecttogether the frame links of the bracelet.

The invention further consists in the provision of a hook-shaped catchpivoted to' one end of one of the plates to engage the opposite end ofthe other plate when folded one upon the other, the hook of the catchbeing arranged to extend thru the opening in the adjacent frame link andthis catch member being shaped to simulate connecting loop links of thebracelet.

The invention f'urther consists in the provision of a connector link inthe bracelet hav- 0 ing one of its arms hinged to the body portionthereof, whereby this link may be readily separated for the purpose ofremoving or adding one or more links to adjust the working length of thebracelet.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a top view of my improved bracelet.

Fig. 2 is a top view showing the extension plates in extended position.

5 from each other.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the frame links.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the end frame links.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 of Fig. l, thru one of the frame linksand loop links, showing the under portion of the loop link as set intothe channel in the extension plates.

Fig. 8 is a central section showing the under portions of the loop linksas extending into the channel of the extension plates and showing theplates as folded one upon the other and held by the catch member.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the catch member as lifted torelease the extension plates to swing from folded position.

Fig. l0 is a perspective view of the removable connector link.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing one of the end connector links andalso one of the removable connector links.

It is found in the practical construction of bracelets which are formedwith open links, that is where the links are made up of so-calledframe-shaped links having central openings therethru, the same beingconnected by loop links that are folded about the cross bars of twoadjacent ends of frame links, of advantage to insert into the bracelet aso-called extension member which permits the bracelet to be passed overthe hand of the wearer without completely separating the bracelet, andin providing this extension member it is found of advantage to form theplates of this extension member with openings therethru, which openingsregister with those of the frame links so as to render the extensionplates beneath the overlying bracelet portion inconspicuous and preventthese plates from being observed. Also, it is found of advantage toprovide a Vsimple catch or latch on the end of one of these plates toengage the end of the other plate, the hook portion being of a length toeX- tend thru the opening in the adjacent frame link when folded and toso shape this latch that it will simulateA the connecting loop links ofthe bracelet; and the following is a detailed description of the presentembodiment of my invention and showing one construction of bracelet bywhich these advanta eous results may be accomplished:

ithureference to the drawings, 15 designates one of the frame linkswhich is referably formed from fiat or sheet stock aving flat side bars16 connected at their op osite ends by rounded cross bars 17. TheseFrame links are connected together by folding a strip of metal aboutthese cross bars 17 to form loop links 18, the ends of which abut belowthe plane of the-under side of the frame links, as many of these framelinks may be connected together as is desired to form the chain orbracelet of the required length.

It is found of advantage in bracelets, particularly of the watch type,to connect the ends of the bracelet thru a so-called extension member19. This extension ,member comprises essentially a pair of elongated fplates 20 hinged together at 21 to extend end to end, as illustrated inFig. 2, and

` adapted to be folded one upon the other, as

illustrated in Fig. 8. The lower plate is I provided at one end with alatch or catch 22 which is hinged to the cross bar 23 of the end linkconnected thereto, the free end of this latch being of hook shape as at24, to extend over the rolled-up end 25 of .the upper plate to whichrolled-up end I connect the cross bar of the upper frame link 26. Thesetwo extension plates 2O are preferably grooved or channeledlongitudinally as at 27, to receive the under portions of theloop links18 and guide the overlying length of the bracelet laterally, also theseextension plates are providedwith spaced openings 28 corresponding tothe openings 29 thru the frame links that overlie Athese plates so as torender these plates inconspicuous thru the overlying bracelet portion;also these extension plates are preferably of a width narrower than thewidth of these frame links which again serve to render these expansionplates inconspicuous. The edges of these plates are flat and do not havethe usual side walls by which construction the links may be of anydesired width relative to the Width of these plates, the general desirebeing to cover these plates so that they will now show and to give thebracelet the appearance of being continuous throughout its length, whilepossessing the s advantage of having the extension plates for thepurpose of enlargement to permit it to be passed over the hand of thewearer.

In some instances, it is found of advantage to provide means whereby oneor more links in the chain or bracelet may be added or removed toregulate its operating length and to accomplish this in a simple andeffective way, I have provided a removable or master link 29a, see Fig.10, in which one of the arms 3() of this link is hinged, as at 31,whereby this arm 30 may be swung back to permit this master link to beremoved from the bracelet and by opening up one of the other connectinglinks 18 a rame link 15'may be removed andthe end link 32 connectedagain to the next adjacent frame link by the use of this master link, orthe end link 32 may be disconnected and another frame link 18 insertedby the use of the master link, to lengthen the bracelet when desired.This end link 32 is herein shown as being provided with a bendableconnector link 33 which may be permanently attached to the bail of awatch when desired.

My improved form of bracelet is very simple and practical inconstruction, is hand- `,some and attractive in appearance, may bereadily extended to be passed over the hand of the wearer and at thesame time by piercing the extension plates in the extension member, thisextension is inconspicuous, and by its special construction thisbracelet chain presents the appearance of being one continuous chainthroughout its length when the extension member is folded.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve theprivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceis susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by theterms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a flexible bracelet, a plurality of connected links havingopenings therethru, a pair of extension plates hinged together end toend, means connecting opposite end portions of said bracelet to the freeends of said plates to cause one end portion of the bracelet to overilesaid plates when these are folded one upon the other, and said platesbeing provided with openings arranged to register with those in thelinks overlying the same.

2. In a flexible bracelet, a plurality of connected links havingopenings therethru, a pair of extension plates hinged together end toend, means connecting opposite end portions of said bracelet to the freeends of said plates to cause one end portion of the bracelet to overliesaid plates when these are folded one upon the other, said plates beingprovided with openings arranged to register with those in the linksoverlying the same, and means for locking the parts in folded position.

3. In a iiexible bracelet, a plurality of frame-shaped links, eachhaving an opening thru its center portion, extension plateshingedtogether with their free ends connected to the ends of thebracelet to cause one end portion of thebracelet to overlie said plateswhen folded one upon the other, said plates being also provided withopenings arranged assente upon the other, means connecting the free endsof said plates to the ends of said bracelet so that one of said braceletend portions `will overlie said plates when folded, said plates beingprovided with openings arranged to register With the openings in theoverlying fas lili

frame links, and a. hook shaped clasp inember pivoted to one end of oneplate to engage the opposite end of the other plate when folded andshaped to entend thru the opening in the adjacent frame link lying onsaid other plate when folded to releasably retain them in foldedposition.

5. ln a exible bracelet, a plurality of frame-shaped links connected byloop links, extension plates hinged end to end to be entended and foldedto lie one upon the other, means connecting the free ends of said platesto the ends of said bracelet so that one of said bracelet end portionswill overlie said plates when folded, said plates being provided withopenings arranged to register with the openings in the overlying framelinks, and a hookl shaped clasp member pivoted to one end of one plateto engage the opposite end of the other plate when folded and extendthru the opening in the adjacent frame link lying on said other platewhen folded to releasably retain them in folded position, the topIportion of said clasp being shaped to simulate said connecting looplinks.

6. lin a Hexible bracelet, a plurality of frame-shaped links, loop linksconnecting said frame links and having under portions extending belowthe plane of said frame links, an extension member to which the ends ofthe bracelet are connected comprising a pair of plates hinged end to endto be folded one upon the other and cause Aone part of the braceletchain to overlie said plates, one of said plates being grooved toreceive the under portions of said loop links when said links overliesaid plates.

7 In a flexible bracelet, a plurality of frame-shaped links each havinga central opening therethru, loop links connecting said frame links, anextension member comprising tvvo plates hinged end to end to be foldedone upon the other, means connecting the ends of the plates to the endsof the bracelet links so that one of the bracelet end portions `vvilloverlie said plates when folded, said plates being 0f a Width less thanthat of said frame links, and being provided with s aced openings toregister with those of said rame i links to render the plateinconspicuous when in operating position, and means for releasablylookin said plates in folded position.

8. In a Yllexible bracelet, a plurality of frame-shaped links connectedby loop links, extension plates hinged end to end to be extended andfolded to lie one upon the other, means connecting the free ends of saidplates to the ends of said bracelet so that one of said bracelet endportions will overlie said plates when w l vided with o Les:

